We saw it coming: Cristiano's World Cup suspension voided

Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for Portugal's World Cup opener in June 2026.

Despite the red card that shook Lisbon earlier this month, the captain will head to the United States with a clean slate.

Ronaldo, now 40 but still competing with the intensity of a debutant, was sent off for elbowing Dara O'Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland. Under normal circumstances, violent conduct means a three-match suspension. But when it comes to CR7, there is always a twist.

When football meets power: Ronaldo under White House spotlight as Trump praises him

FIFA has suspended the second and third matches of his ban for one year - and, as BBC Sport revealed, the key factor was that this was his first red card in 226 international appearances. An astonishing record for a player constantly under the spotlight.

Ronaldo has already served one match of the punishment, sitting out the Armenia game on 16 November. That means he will not miss a single minute of Portugal’s World Cup campaign unless he slips again.

But FIFA’s warning was crystal clear: if Ronaldo commits another infringement of similar "nature and gravity" during the probation period, the suspended two-match ban will immediately be activated.

On the pitch, the numbers speak for him. Five goals in qualifying, Portugal cruising to the top of Group F, and a seventh consecutive World Cup on the horizon.

Now Portugal - and the rest of the football world - wait for the big moment: the draw. All 48 teams will discover their fate on Friday, 5 December.